Hello Everyone

By way of introduction, I am an engineer at a U.S. aerospace firm (sorry, can't say which one), with an interest in all things aviation.

I became interested in India's defense forces primarily as a offshoot of my interest in the two great defense challenges that India, and indeed the entire Western world have to contend with in the coming decades: the growing military capability and burgeoning political ambitions of China; and the threat posed by Islamic extremists in Pakistan, Indonesia and elsewhere.

Asia is at a cross road. These days, everybody talks about the great expansion of the Chinese navy and how dominant they will become. But what most ignore is the fact that the Chinese have problems with just about every country in their neighbourhood. That keeps them bogged down in their own immediate waters. That also ensures that they poccess more platforms so that there is optimum utilisation and deployment of assets to counter all the countries that ensures that their navy will be tied for the immediate future. They also will need to contend with the mighty American navy along with the powerful Japanese fleet. It will be difficult to deal with each of the country individually. Then facing both the American and the Japanese fleet which is working together is a nightmare scenario for the PLAN.

With India's enhansing cooperation with all these countries including USA, Japan, Vietnam and Australia the kind of which will increase in the coming decades, China will find it pretty tough to deal with this new alliances. Their only dependable allies are Pakistan and North Korea, both has massive internal problems and will not be in a position to help China in the event of war.

India enjoys geographic advantages that sets it apart from other countries of the Indian Ocean. India sits vertually abetting the Indian Ocean with it's South India acting as the mouth to the IOR. With air assets deployed in the South Indian peninsula, India can effecively control almost all of the Indian Ocean region thus ensuring that the entire PLAN will need to face the brunt not only of the Indian navy but also of the Indian Air Force. Further, Chinese assets in Sri Lanka and Maldives lie in close proximity to the Indian main land, thus ensuring that they become easy targets if in anyway India's security is threatened. I do not believe Sri Lanka and Mauritius will be so foolish enough or so brave enough to threaten India. That is also because they cannot rely on China abecause India does hold the power to effectively deny China access to the Indian Ocean thanks to our territory of The Andaman and Nacobar Isles that will act as a choke point against any adventurism by PLAN.

Hence India does hold all the cards and if played right will ensure that India remains the predominent power in the Indian Ocean region.

By way of introduction, I am an engineer at a U.S. aerospace firm (sorry, can't say which one), with an interest in all things aviation.

I became interested in India's defense forces primarily as a offshoot of my interest in the two great defense challenges that India, and indeed the entire Western world have to contend with in the coming decades: the growing military capability and burgeoning political ambitions of China; and the threat posed by Islamic extremists in Pakistan, Indonesia and elsewhere.